Benidorm series 5 coming soon...

According to Matthew Kelly who was on ITV's lunch time show "Loose Women" yesterday, the new series is starting on FRiday 24th Febuary. Matthew had a cameo role and his episode will be on air the following week - 2nd March.Over the past 4 series, many celebs and stars have had cameo appearances such as Cilla Black, Sue Pollard, Wendy Richards and Denise Welch - who's husband Tim Healy is a regular cast member. Rumors were rife that Jackie Collins would appear but it never materialized. However, Kate O'Mara of "The Brothers" a BBC series of the 70's and more lately appearing in "Absolutely Fabulous"as Jackie, the long lost sister of Patsy (played by Joanna Lumley) DID make her debut in this latest series.

On location at poolside with director Sandy Johnson

Steve Pemberton, who plays Mick Garvey, wrote three of the episodes (No 3, 5 & 6) whilst the remaining ones where written as usual by the incredibly talented Derren Litten.  Steve's new series of "Whitechapel" started last night on ITV (9pm UK) in which he plays consultant historian Buchan - the total opposite to his Benidorm character as the lazy, uncouth and sarcastic patriach of the Garvey clan.

Scene being set up in the Old Town

The Town Hall were delighted that Tiger Aspects came back to film a 5th series - it puts Benidorm on the map and holiday bookings go through the roof once the series is broadcast. Everyone wants to see where the scenes were filmed of their favorite television series.

The pool at Sol Pelicanos hotel is the ficticious Solana resort and Morgans Tavern is Neptunes night club. The indoor hotel scenes are filmed at what the locals all call "the Pink house" - just past Benidorm Palace. Many holiday makers specifically want to stay at the Sol Pelicanos hotel and have photos taken at the same pool bar to show their friends back home... the staff are use to it after so many years.

Setting up lighting for pool side bar shoot with Mateo & Lesley

Its great publicity for Benidorm and the Town Hall are very accommodating when it comes to closing streets to traffic for filming. When they shoot live scenes at the poolside, the police in the street behind the hotel stop the traffic for the duration so that no traffic noise is picked up. They run a few test shots first until they are happy then the walkie talkies come into force with the crew and local police liasing to stop the traffic at the exact moment of shooting - which incidentally only lasts for a few minutes at a time.

They have also filmed at many of the towns tourist attractions such as Terra Mitica, Terra Natura, Font's D'Algar and in the Christmas special featured Benidorm Palace.
Lets hope that they'll be back again next year for another series - it certainly increases trade for lots of local businesses which can only be a good thing in these economically dire times.

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Discount for over 65's at Carrefour in Benidorm

The supermarket chain Carrefour have introduced a new discount card for the over 65's. The card is FREE and with it the IVA (VAT) will be deducted on all fresh products.
IVA free items included in the promotion are: Meat, Fish, Bakery products, Fruit and Vegetables, Delicatessen (ham/salami), Cheese and Eggs. The rate on these products varies between 4 and 8% - none food products attract an 18% rate in Spain.
At present this promotion is on until 31st March 2012 , but it may be extended. You need to already have a Carrefour Club card to apply (which is also free to obtain). Just take your passport or ID to the store where they will fill in the form for you and issue your 65+ card there and then. When you pay for your goods and present your 65+ card the IVA will be deducted off any eligible products.

As the Asda slogan goes "Every little helps" - just remember not to buy your fresh milk there. Even with the IVA deduction its still much cheaper in Mercadona!

Sunday afternoon in Benidorm

Sunday afternoon - packed cafe on Levante beach front

Whilst you are shivering back in the UK I thought I'd share with you a typical afternoon on the popular Levante beach in Benidorm. The promenade was packed with people taking an afternoon stroll - you can easily tell the locals and visitors apart. Its a typical Spanish past time on a Sunday. Although 16 degrees with a beautiful blue sky the locals were wrapped up in coats,jackets, scarves and boots whilst the visitors have shorts, T-Shirts and flip flops on!

You can stop and have a coffee, cake and brandy for 2.15€ and that's right on the front - there's even cheaper if you look, I saw one for 1.50€. In the UK you'd struggle to get a decent cup of coffee for that price, never mind with a slice of cake and either a Brandy, Baileys or Tia Maria.The cafes were packed with people watchers enjoying the afternoon sun - see you don't have to pay a fortune for the pleasure here in Benidorm! The mobilty scooters were wizzing up and down trying to search out the cheapest coffee and brandy combo - you have to remember to look both ways in case you are knocked over by one. Its interesting to note that they are all Brits out on the scooters - the Spanish walk the the aid of a stick if necessary.


There were some people sunbathing on the beach too - no doubt trying to catch a few rays before heading back to Blighty! Even the lifeguards were on duty ... a legal requirement although I don't think they will be very busy. I didn't see anyone actually brave enough to go into the sea and the lifeguards were wrapped up in their jackets.
So come on, what are you waiting for - get on the internet and book that flight. Imagine, you could be like the people pictured here next weekend, relaxing and soaking up the atmosphere and having the coffee, cake and brandy - tempting eh?

Busy Levante promenade

Spanish supermarkets are cheapest for food in Benidorm

Three Spanish companies are among the world's Top 50 retailers according to the 2012 Global Powers of Retail survey, with supermarket chain Mercadona increasing its lead over the department store El Corte Ingles.  Mercadona  comes in at number 42, El Corte Ingles at 47 and the Inditex group at 49. Inditex, whose High Street brands include Zara, Pull & Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka and Stradivarius is almost among the companies present in the greatest number of countries - 78. All of these stores an be found in towns and cities across the UK.
The world's leading retail outlet remains US chain Wal-Mart, followed in second place by France's Carrefour and thirdly Britain's Tesco.

Fresh milk in Carrefour at 1.35€ per litre

Virtually every Spanish town has at least one branch of Mercadona, probably the most popular food supermarket here. Carrefour, although much bigger and on a par with Tesco by also selling clothing, home-wear, electrical goods and petrol only has a few branches scattered around. There is a store in Benidorm and the next nearest is in San Juan - past El Campello en route to Alicante. They operate much like Tesco by offering a "club card" whereby you collect points on all purchases - the most points are accumulated from petrol where you are rewarded with  the equivalent of 8% discount on the forecourt price.

In Mercadona same litre costs 80 cent!

But when it comes to food prices you need to be on your guard - don't be fooled into thinking that because they are a huge hypermarket their prices will be cheaper. An example is the price of a litre of fresh milk - "leche fresco". In Mercadona it is 80 cents but in Carrefour the price is an eye watering 1.35 cent ... 69% more expensive. As if that isn't pricey enough, in Iceland you would have to pay 1.50€! Another marketing ploy is huge adverts above products offering 70% off with that price shown. However, if you read properly you will see that the 70% discount is off the second item - you have to purchase the first at the full price. I have seen many people looking and getting excited thinking that they are getting a bargain - I wonder whether they realise once they get to the check out and have paid that its somewhat more expensive than they thought? Probably not - but make sure you check your recepits before leaving. Even I was almost taken in by another naughty marketing trick - I noticed that the price of the pasta had gone DOWN a few cents. Wow I though - until I realised that they had reduced the weight from 500gm to 400gm which in fact made it more expensive. This was also highlighted some years ago when the makers of Mars and Snickers reduced the bar sizes by 11% (from 60gm to 53gm) but the price remained the same.
Many holiday makers here on holiday in Benidorm, especially those who have come on a self catering basis will need to go out and buy some provisions. Some will head to Iceland, located near to Carrefour - being a British company they are familiar with back home. But be warned ... in the UK they are relatively cheap but the price on basics does not translate so over here. I did a price comparison for 12  products you would buy such as fresh milk, sliced white bread, eggs, sugar, PG Tips, Nescafe coffee, Kellogg's cornflakes etc. I compared the prices on like for like in Carrefour, Mercadona, MasyMas, Lidl and Iceland. The first 4 stores all came out about the same at 16€ but in Iceland the same basket came to just under 24€! If you are on a budget stick to the Spanish supermarkets.

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Travel insurance when holidaying in Benidorm.

When booking your flights for Benidorm every airline offers travel insurance - in fact you have to "un-tick" the box for certain low cost airlines. They don't make it easy, hoping that you just cannot be bothered to go through the entire procedure to un-tick the relevant box at the beginning of the booking process. With Ryanair you have to select "No travel insurance required"  from the drop down list  headed "Country of residence" .... is it designed that way deliberately? Probably - a sneaky way to get the user to unwittingly pay for extras!

The most important thing to remember is make sure you have a valid EHIC card - European Health Insurance Card. This is FREE to obtain and can be done online at www.ehic.org.uk if you are a UK resident or British pensioner living in Spain. There are many companies on the internet that charge a "processing fee" of up to £20 - these are free so do not be conned! If you live in Spain and are entitled to a SIP card ie. you work legally or pay into the social security system then you apply at your local social security office. The EHIC card will cover you for any emergency medical treatment which you may need whilst on holiday here in Benidorm at the local "Centro de Salud" (health centre) or at the social security hospital - Hospital Marina Baixa in Villa Joyosa. However, if you are taking out travel insurance for the medical cover be warned ... many claims are being rejected by insurers for not disclosing pre-existing medical conditions. Unbelievably, mild asthma and high blood pressure fall into this category and any claims related to these conditions will not be covered unless disclosed and additional cover taken out. And if you are in your late 60's or older, make sure that your age doesn't exclude you from any treatment. Many policies stop cover at the age of 65 - you will need to pay a higher premium for a separate policy covering older travellers.

So you have health matters covered - the next big question is do you take out travel insurance to protect against other holiday disasters ? Premiums have increased over the last year as insurers are desperate to claw back money paid out for events such as ash cloud, earthquakes and flooding. But for those over the age of 65 the cost has rocketed and in many cases doubled in the last year alone! The hike in premiums will leave many elderly people exposed as the cost deters them from taking cover. But it is not only the premiums that have increased - the cover offered has decreased so it is essential that you read the small print to find out exactly what is and isn't covered. If you are booking a package holiday, the travel company are responsible for any delays or cancellations. Many insurance companies now do not include natural disasters or civil unrest in their policies - some do but need to be added as an optional extra when taking out the cover. However, if you have booked flights and accommodation independently and the flight is delayed or cancelled then the "Denied Boarding Regulation" makes clear the airline must offer you help. But whether you qualify depends on the length of the delay - a flight from the UK to Alicante must be more than two hours late and on an EU based airline. You will be entitled to two free phone calls, meals and refreshments appropriate to the delay and free hotel accommodation and hotel transfer if an overnight stay is required. 
So is it worth taking out travel insurance, only you can decide.But make sure you read the small print and check what the policy covers carefully - remember, insurance companies have ways of worming out of paying whenever possible. Is it time for the insurance companies to put the "small print" into "big print" for what is covered in the policy - and more importantly what is NOT!


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Will Starbucks be encroaching on Benidorm bars?

Starbucks, the world's biggest coffee chain has announced plans to begin selling beer and wine in a trial at some of its branches in a bid to perk up business. The company is testing the policy in selected Spanish and U.S outlets and said that they have no plans to sell alcohol in UK stores - however, depending on the results I am sure that they would attempt to if it was a huge success.

The coffee giants believe that alcohol is key to continuing world domination. But reaction to the announcement has been rather negative from customers with comments such as "If their beers are like their lattes, they will probably be three quarters foam and one quarter beer" and "Overpriced beer as well as overpriced coffee". Are they trying to catch up with the rest of continental Europe?

Here in Spain it is the norm to have cafes and bars selling both. Walk down any High Street in a Spanish town or village and you will be staggered at the number of them in close proximity to each other. As soon as one bar or cafe opens another pops up almost next door ... and they never seem to be short of customers either.  For businesses that open early such as builders merchants come 10am its "bocadillo time" - tea break. The workers down tools and all head to the local cafe where they enjoy tapas, tostado - toasted baguette drizzled with olive olive and tomatos and regularly washed down with a beer or coffee and brandy. Yes at 10am in the morning. Let that be a word of advice - never go to a builders merchant between 10 and 11 as there will only be a skeleton staff there - the majority will be on "bocadillo".


Offices do not offer any kitchen facilities either, unlike in the UK, meaning staff all leave the premesis at break time and head to the local cafe bar. Its almost a cultural thing here - you never seem to see anyone bringing their own sandwich or drink from home. Considering the average wage here is between 800-1000€ per month, its a wonder that they can afford to do this on a daily basis.

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Benidorm residents comment on stricken Costa Concordia

Benidorm residents Renee & Tony Dipple

The Costa Concordia was on a trip around the Mediterranean when it hit a reef on Friday 13th January near the Italian island of Giglio. To date the disaster has claimed 15 lives with at least a further 19 passengers unaccounted for. Adding insult to injury, survivors of the tragedy have been offered a 30% discount on their next cruise amid claims that the company is trying to reduce the damage from an impending lawsuit, which could cost it more than £100 million in compensation.
Benidorm residents Renne and Tony Dipple shudder at the headlines of this catastrophe having just been on the Costa Concordia a few weeks previously. They are seasoned "crusier's" having been on about twelve prior to this one and I was wondering whether this will have put them off. They invited me into their home in Benidorm where they have lived for the last 10 years having made the move from Surrey - in fact they didn't actually intend on living here at all. On retirement some 12 years ago they bought a boat and planned to cruise the Med - but the boat sank off Torrevieja so they came and stayed with some friends in Benidorm whilst deciding their next move. They loved the area so much that the decision was made.

Image of stricken liner no-one will forget

Renee and Tony booked their 9 day cruise departing from Barcelona on 21st December. There were aprox. 3800 passengers made up mainly of Italian, Spanish, French and 30 British passengers  - as well as the 1200 crew. As it covered Christmas there were many families with small children - a thought that chills Renee as she watches the television coverage of people scrambling down the side of the tilting liner. The overriding concern which they both raised was the lack of evacuation drill procedure in the event of an emergency. Having been on many cruises they knew how to put on their life vests but the Costa Concordia fell seriously short for newbys. On arrival day they were notified of a lifeboat drill which everyone was suppose to attend. You a supplied with an emergency card with all your basic information which you bring to the drill. In the event of an evacuation you are meant to hand the card over as you board the lifeboat so that the crew can keep account of the passengers. They were told to leave their cards so that the crew could check who had attended the drill, in this case 12 came but they were never given back over the 9 day duration! Tony did complain about this and was told that "we have ways of identifying you". They were shown a very basic video but there was no demonstration to show how to put the life vest on. In fact, Renee and Tony came to the drill with theirs in hand as was the routine on all the previous cruises they had been on and they were the only ones which did. There was no information on muster stations (meeting points) in the case of an emergency so neither are surprised at the footage of panic being screened.
On day 3 Tony did ask the English rep whether there would be another drill and his response was "it would take over 2 hours for the ship to go down so plenty of time for everyone to get off " quite a chilling statement in the light of what happened on the following trip!
They told me that normally when the boat docks at the various ports they test the life boats. On a Fred Olsen cruise they had been on previously one of them wouldn't come down and it was immediately replaced before the ship set sail. None of the lifeboats on the Concordia were tested - something which all the British passengers commented on over dinner with one jokingly asking whether they would actually work if needed.

Opulent interior of the Costa Concordia

They both got to know members of the crew well, especially the waiters who served them every day and  pray that they did not perish in this tragedy. Also a concern that Renee raised was in the event of such an incident when the power fails, how are the physically immobile passengers suppose to get to the evacuation decks when the lifts are not working. Renee and Tony's room was on deck 1, very close to where the liner struck the reef gauging a huge hole in its side and the though makes them both shiver.
Overall, aside from the lack of drill the cruise was very enjoyable Tony told me - apart from the well known fact about drink prices that is. Living in Spain we are rather spoilt but I must say, 29€ PLUS 15% surcharge for the cheapest bottle of wine did make my eyes water.
On departure they did leave comment forms but somehow I think that Costa have other things to deal with at the moment - shame as they could possibly have learnt something from Renee and Tony.

Transparent booking fees when flying to Benidorm

Introducing "Administration Fees" like its rival

Over the last few years, card surcharges have risen sharply particularly amongst low-cost carriers, who were among the first to bring in the levies.In many cases, the charge is only disclosed during the closing stages of the booking process, making it difficult for consumers to compare prices.
Now EasyJet has joined the likes of Ryanair by renaming the online booking fee as an "administration fee" following a government crackdown to ban excessive surcharges when buying tickets online.

EasyJet have now introduced a flat fee of £9 or 11€ per booking - but don't be fooled into thinking thats it! Previously EasyJet charged £8 for all bookings made with a debit card (except Visa Electron) and for credit cards there was an additional 2.5% or £4.95 - whichever was greater. Although now debit card transactions are free, credit cards will still incur an additional 2.5% surcharge or £6 fee - whichever is the greater. However,  it is still cheaper than Ryanair who charge £6 per passenger per way - so if you compare a return flight for a family of 4 then on Easyjet the "admin fee" would still only be £9 but on Ryanair it would be £48.

The "Not so always Low" airline...

I looked at EasyJet for luggage charges too - all an extra. They charge £15 for one way and £29 for a return trip with luggage on journeys originating from the UK. However, when I looked the other way round, ie originating from Spain I was rather baffled. They charge 17€ for a one way trip but 36€ for a return ... maybe someone in the office didn't have a calculator to hand and guessed. So someone travelling from Spain to the UK and back are being charged an extra 2€.

Transparent pricing brings in more customers

Monarch on the other hand have claimed a record breaking start to January, with online sales up 46%. Managing Dircetor Kevin George said "It is clear as our sales continue to grow that customers value our transparent fees, preferring to eliminate the element of suprise with additional "hidden charges", such as unnecessary card payment fees". Monarch do not add on any "admin fees", debit card transactions are free and credit card transactions incur a flat £10 fee.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) calculated that travellers spent £300 million on card surcharges in the airline industry alone in 2010. It must be one of the few industries that can get away with this daylight robbery. If you go into Tesco or Carrefour and pull out your credit card to pay for your weekly shop they don't say "oh thats an additional 2.5% for using a credit card" so I can't understand why the airlines and other online retailers can get away with it.

Most banks refuse to disclose the amount charged because it often depends on the size of the retailers and volume of transactions. But according to regulators, the cost of processing a debit card is about 20p however it can be one or two per cent for credit cards.

Benidorm ER - a closer insight to "Kinky Karen"

With cast of "Benidorm" from Xmas Sprcial

To date, two of the six episodes of "Benidorm ER" have been screened - Wednesday's 8pm in UK (9pm Spanish time) on Channel 5. Camera crews follow unfortunate Brits on holiday as well as some ex-pats as they enter the private Hospital Clinica Benidorm. However, it must be pointed out that only "locals" with private health care insurance go there - otherwise they have to pay for any treatment they have.

In episode one they followed local expat Karen Ravenscroft, better known as Kinky Karen in Benidorm. She was attending the hospitial as a private patient to seek advice and diagnosis for a severve back problem which was causing her excrusiating pain.

I was curious out find out more so met up with Karen to see how she was and the outcome of her hospital "investigation" - which she told me was actually filmed last summer in July/August (2011).

She came to Benidorm on a 2 week  holiday with her parents back in 1997 and during that time met Andreas - back then a male dancer known as "The Bullfighter". At the end of the holiday she went back to Blackpool to hand in her notice at the nightclub where she worked "Too Hot to Handle" and returned to Benidorm. She perfected and performed a fire act at many of the clubs in the town and was even featured on a weekly television show here.

After two years she got engaged to Andreas but broke it off after discovering his infidelity and fled back to the UK. She worked in Manchester for a while then moved down to London, where she worked at "Secrets". Whilst there she met a girl who wanted to open a similar club in Lanzarote and so together they took the plunge and went for it. She worked there for a year but missed Benidorm and so decided to move back here. Then in around 2001 her ex-fiance went into the Spanish Big Brother - as massive in Spain as it is in the UK. As always with journalists they uncovered that he had been engaged and tracked down Karen to get her side of the story. Now, this could have gone one of two ways ... fortunately for Karen it literally catapulted her to stardom. She was interviewed on many Spanish television stations and that resulted in literally hundreds of photo shoots and magazine deals - she appeared on the covers of "Best Magazine", "Men & Motors", "Daily Sport" and was on the television series "Benidorm or Bust".

 Throughout 2001/2 she had 18 months of what Karen said was "utter madness - I was flying around Europe doing magazine shoots and television shows but never got to actually see any of the fabulous places I visited". It made her realise that Benidorm had everything that she wanted and so she gave up the jetting around, which sounds great but is totally exhausting and went back to performing her "exotic shows".

Karen is a total fitness freak and was working out at the gym daily on top of which she did kick boxing ... but it was all to take its toll on her health. She started getting serious back problems and had to take 4 months off work as she was in so much pain - plus totally give up all exercise. It was at this point that Channel 5 picked up her story for the documentary that is currently being screened. She wanted to get a quick diagnosis and so went to the Hospital Clinica Benidorm for speed where she had an MRI scan  revealing a hernia on her spine which was crushing the nerves going down her right leg - which explained the crippling pain she was experiencing. The doctors there told her that she needed to be operated on and were talking of fusing some of her spine ... quite a serious and frightening procedure and that only 1% of such cases result in such severe damage, as she was experincing. As if that wasn't frightening enough they also told her that if she didn't have the operation  she would be in a wheelchair within 6 months!

Remember this was filmed LAST YEAR and I met her this week in the Daytona Beach Bar on Levante seafront where she walked in with her 2 doggies - her babies as she calls them!  So Karen went to seek a second opinion at the Social Security hospital (Spains NHS equivalent) at Villa Joyosa. There she was told a similar diagnosis but she then started investigating for herself what this procedure would actually entail and the risks involved. Her research found 9 people with the same condition - 8 had this operation and are now worse than before and 1 died! As you can imagine it has somewhat put Karen off so she went down the alternative route which is where you see her being filmed with a crystal healer. She also visited a White Witch who has put "health spells" on her - I must admit at this point I was finding it hard to keep a straight face but then as she pointed out "when you're in so much pain you are willing to try literally anything". She was also having treatment with a chiropractor as well as taking "bucket loads" of medication which was costing her thousands of euros and money was running.

She had no alternative but to go back to work - however she has  adapted her show to 20 minutes and limits herself to what she can do. By pure coincidence -( or is it) she had a phone call from Villa Joyosa hospital last week, informing her that she had an appointment for her pre-med the following day. Her operation was being scheduled for 10 days later -with  no further consultations with the doctor or surgeon to ask exactly what they were going to do! Unsuprisingly Karen did not attend her appointment .She will monitor how she gets on over the next 6-12 months. Karen still has pain but it's bearable. Whether it was infact the "alternative" therapies or just her change of lifestyle that has helped is unknown, but she certainly won't be rushed into surgery. "Let's face it - last summer they told me that I'd be in a wheelchair by Christmas if I didn't have this op" she told me. Makes you wonder doesn't it .... does the doctor always know best!

With Karen, Taijah & China

Having recently been laid up in bed I can totally sympathize with Karen - its probably one of the worse things. Channel 5 crew were persistant in asking to film her performing one of her shows for the series, so despite the pain she was in, managed an adapted routine - which was filmed at "Broadway". "I just hope that they show it now after all the hassle - they even had to get the audience to sign disclaimers". She hasn't been informed if and when they will be broadcasting that particular segment so will be watching with curiosity.

"So what does the future hold for you" I asked. Well, Karen is working on an illusion show which she plans to introduce to Benidorm, maybe next year - "not close up card tricks and things like that - proper illusion and maybe incorporate my fire show ... it'll be like nothing you've seen before in Benidorm".

Karen currently works at the Daytona Beach Bar on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and once into the season will be working at the clubs in the English quarter. She is available for private parties and bookings including Stag & Hen events and is offering readers of this blog,a special discount. You can contact Karen on 669 370 183

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Benidorm's problems exacerbated by the Valencian Community

"Correos" ... Spanish Post Office

I reported earlier this week that Benidorm's Technical Department is in"financial disarray"- but it has come to light that this is not an isolated case. The "Correos" (Post Office) have cut its service to the City Council of Benidorm due to unpaid bills and have stated that unless the outstanding invoices are paid service will not resume! This means that Council employees have to personally go to the Post Office with any urgent correspondence, stand in line like everyone else and pay in cash.  According to sources the Council owe the Post Office 66,691.27 euros for the last quarter of 2011. This seems to be an unbelievable situation for a town the size of Benidorm - what would happen if a mass mailing  urgently needed to be sent to all the citizens of the town ?  An employee commented that "folders, envelopes, printer inks are now almost a luxury item" as companies are refusing to supply the department due to unpaid bills.

Scandals such as these appear to be commonplace here in Spain with accusations of  mismanagement and corruption reported almost on daily basis from somewhere in the country. In the run up to the general elections last year the then party leader Mariano Rajoy ( he is now the Prime Minister) highlighted the Valencian Regional government as an example of efficient administration and quoting "This is the model that I would like to apply to the government of Spain". The head of the regional government at the time was Fransisco Camps .... he is now on trial for bribery and corruption charges. Suddenly no-one wants to talk or be associated with him!  Valencia, once the envy of the country, is now seen as a basket case, up to its neck in debt, unable to meet its financial commitments and in financial and economic crisis. Valencia has become a symbol of what can go wrong when self-interested politicians and business people get together to spend public money.
In 2007, with the first signs of the crisis already on the horizon, Camps struck a deal with Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone to hold the European Grand Prix in Valencia - but neither was aware of the huge costs involved of hosting such an event. The regional government lied when it said that the Grand Prix would not cost the tax payer.... it ended up paying out 80 million euros! The contract to host seven Grand Prixs in the coming years will cost more than 244 million euros of public money. The new administration has tried to cancel the contracts but it turns out that the cost of doing so would be almost as expensive as hosting the race!  Yet in 2009, with Spain's economy already in crisis Valencia's administration spent over 52,000 euros on "lavish preparations" for the Ferrari World finals. Camps took advantage of the event for a photo opportunity, cruising around the track in a Ferrari accompanied by Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso!
More corruption is being uncovered every day. The 377 million Terra Mitica theme park in Benidorm has been a resounding commercial failure and been handed over to the Aqualandia water chain park - together with its 65 million euro debt. Bogus service contracts funded with taxpayers money are among the suspected methods used by business people with the right political connections.
Emarsa, a company created by Valencia City Hall to purify waste water before being released into the sea has been looting the regional governments coffers over the last two decades.  In an ongoing fraud investigation it has been shown that directors used company money to buy clothes, jewelry, electronic items and even lottery tickets! The company has gone into liquidation as it was bankrupt with a 17 million euro debt although the total fraud is estimated to be in the region of 30 million!
So how did things get this bad? It comes from decades of mismanagement. Valencia's regional government now faces a 62 billion euro debt with no means to raise money other than by tax hikes. Savage spending cuts are expected in the coming years and have already hit education and healthcare hard.  But its not simply about reducing spending - it's about finding the money to pay suppliers which was the point of the initial story.  Only at the beginning of the week electricity was cut off to a school in Alicante, Benidorm City Council is in dire straits and cannot pay suppliers or in some case workers - services have been reduced in an attempt to save money, such as street lighting  It appears ALL councils have similar problems.... where will it all end ?

Improvements to Benidorm hotels

Servigroup Hotels, the leading hotel chain in the Valencian region are spending nearly three million euros on the improvement of 4 of its hotels - 3 of which are in Benidorm, despite the economic crisis. The group based in Benidorm and chaired by Jose Maria Caballe already invested nearly four million euros in 2011 carrying out improvements to facilities in the group and understands the "importance of offering its customers good value for money and continuous improvement of its product".  The hotel group was established at the beginning of the 60's and its specializes in "sun and beach" packages - the group have 9 hotels in Benidorm.
The biggest investment of 1.5 million will be at the Hotel Venus which will adapt rooms and bathrooms to accommodate disabled customers. They are also modernizing and expanding the reception area and installing low energy lighting - all which should be complete for the summer season.

Popular Venus Hotel ... ideal location for weekly market

The Pueblo Benidorm Hotel, which is located just 300 metres from the Levante beach are having 100,000 euros invested on improvements - namely a  new lift going from the car-park with direct access to the reception area.
The third hotel, Torre Dorada located in La Cala are adapting some of the rooms into "family rooms" which are able to accommodate 3 beds.

The Servigroup hotels have also re-launched the popular 2x1 drinks offer in the hotel bars at the following Benidorm hotels: Castilla; Calypso; Nereo; Orange; Rialto; Pueblo Benidorm;  Venus & Torre Dorada.

Benidorm's Technical Services department paralyzed by debt

Benidorm Town Hall

The PP Party in Benidorm have reported that the "Maintenance department" of the city are unable to work because many companies have stopped supplying materials to the Town due to unpaid invoices. 20 small businesses are owed "more than a million euros" it was disclosed. Councillor Jose Ramon Gonzalez accused the council of "poor planning and mismanagement" of the department. It was revealed that "Bridge 900" in the town is only just about functioning due to constant "patch ups" but desperately needs major work - however "due to lack of basic materials such as bricks, cement, light bulbs, paint" it is not possible to do the job properly.
Many of these small companies will be forced to lay off workers or even close due to the Councils negligence. The Councillor accused the department of recruiting many temporary employees just before the election campaign last year and "wasting resources".

Electricity supplier

It is not only Benidorm that is in crisis - yesterday in Alicante one of the secondary schools had its electricity cut off by Iberdrola due to unpaid bills by the Town Hall! The Department of Education in the city owes approximately 10 million euros to 138 schools across the province - the schools have received no funding for the last nine months... virtually the entire school year. The monthly electricity bill per school is in the region of 2000 euros and Iberbrola warned the the council of the situation and implications.  However, only last week councillor Maria Jose Catala brazenly stated that no schools would be cut off ! Following intervention by the Regional Ministry of Education the power was restored at 4pm in the afternoon but the department have been warned that the situation is "extreme" and the Mayor needs to "prioritize education". Teachers have condemned the ongoing situation saying that they cannot teach in these conditions where "blinds do not rise, windows cannot close and heating is only on until 11am"
I have never heard of a situation where a national energy company can cut off power in such a situation ... who will be targeted next - the hospitals? Where on earth is all the money going if not to the suppliers ... fireworks spring to my mind! If they cut back on those for a few years then they possibly wouldn't be in such a bad situation. But then that's asking the impossible - the Spanish live for their fiestas.I wonder whether they have to pay for the firework displays in advance as once they go up in smoke ...

The Sound of Music is Alive in the Hills of La Nucia - nr Benidorm.

Von Trapp family

The Hills will definately be alive with singing and music this January in La Nucia as the Teatro del Sol presents "The Sound of Music". The show, famous for its beautiful songs and fabulous Austrian scenery  is one of the all time classic films starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plumber.
 "Maria" is played by Joanna Baldwin and her real life husband Phil portrays "Captain Von Trapp" who together with the 7 children perform perfectly together - in fact 3 of Joanna and Phil's children are part of the family too so the show boasts a real "Von Trapp" family! The show is directed by Rob Barendsma and assisted by Joanne Venet and Sibylle Keller.
An interesting fact discovered via the Von Trapp history pages is that the real Maria Von Trapp had a cameo appearance in The Sound of Music. She can be seen in the background when Maria walks through the brick archway during  the song "I have Confidence".
It was Julie Andrews who portrayed Maria in the film, the nun-turned-governess who made clothes from curtains and won over hard to please charges with music that everyone so fondly remembers. "It made my career" Julie said.

"Nuns" during Saturday rehersals

There is also a fabulous cast of Nuns, some of which have never performed on stage before. Some have been singing in Rob's International choir for some time but every Saturday they have been rehearsing - belting out tunes and learning all the correct harmonies that rest assured, the nuns will give you the feeling that you are in the Nunberg Abbey with them fulfilling their morning prayers!

Asst director Joanne Venet going through the lines with cast

All in all, a feel good show definately not to be missed this January. Performances are on Friday 27th, Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th starting at 7pm in the Auditori Mediterraneo in La Nucia. All tickets are priced at 10€ and available at the box office or you can book online at www.servicam.com. They also offer a "collection service" for those unable to get to the box office. Tickets can be ordered ,paid for & collected  at the Teatro del Sol, urb Bello Horizonte 1, La Nucia or at Albir Gardens every TUESDAY morning between 10.30 and Noon in the Bar area (left off main reception) For further information contact 679 646 145.

Jerry Lane, Benidorm's Female Impersonator turns author.

One of Benidorm's most popular and well known entertainers is about to take the literary world by storm having signed a 3 book deal with a UK publisher. His first book "Beyond Repair - The Shocking Truth" is due to hit the stands in April and Jeri will be embarking on a 3 month promotional book tour of the UK to coincide with its release.I met up with Jeri over a coffee to find out more.

At Benidorm Palace with Danny La Rue

Jeri moved to Spain in January 2001 with his long term partner having worked in the major hot-spots such as Ibiza, Majorca and Benidorm over the holiday season. He had grown to love Benidorm in that time and when the opportunity came up to move here permanently he jumped at the chance. I bit the bullet and asked him straight out - as only I could "Jeri, have you always dressed in drag?" to which he laughed and replied " I don't do drag darling - Im a Female Impersonator" to which we both fell about laughing...
Jeri was bought up by his grandmother over a substantial period of his childhood. It was she that took him to the theatre back in the 70's (and back in those days not many could afford to go) to see Danny La Rue where he realised his love of the stage and it was she that encouraged him to "be himself". He trained as a dancer and was part of a mixed dance troupe called "Zoo" (which was directed by Flick Colby of Pans People) and was regularly performing on Top of the Pops in the early 80's. It was after his time with the group that he auditioned and got a part as a backing dancer on "Hello Dolly" with one of his idols in the starring role -  Danny La Rue. Following that he got a part in the chorus of  "La Cage Aux Folles" which was the first time that he actually dressed as a woman! It was during that period that someone suggested he should take up female impersonating as he was a natural - and so began his career as a female impersonator! Until then he had always danced as a man.  However, it was during the turbulent early to mid 80's  that the "AIDS epidemic" hit - with newspaper headlines such as "Gay Plague" and causing the show to literally close overnight following a backlash over "gay lifestyles". With no work on the horizon Jeri went to LA, where for 3 years he worked as a make-up artist for Max Factor.

Shoot for his record release "Overdrive" 

He has worked with a who's who of celebrities over his career including Joe Longthorn, Joan Collins, John Barrowman, Jane McDonald and was especially "close" to Freddy Mercury.

On moving to Spain Jeri embarked on many projects but his most notable must have been writing an autobiographical show about the life of the young Danny La Rue which was performed on the stage of Benidorm Palace in 2007 with the star himself ! Danny loathed impersonators but was so impressed with the script that their paths were to cross one final time before he died. Jeri is the only man to ever appear on stage with Danny ! Jeri also recorded a record album and in 2010 took to the radio waves presenting the hugely popular "Here come the Girls" show on FAB fm - a radio version of ITV's "Loose Women". The cast were so impressed that Lynda Bellingham even took part in one of Jeri's shows whilst she was visiting the area. The girls even  recorded a "congratulations" recording for him to air on the 1st year anniversary of the show - but it was on this day, 4th April 2011 that Jeri quit the show anticipating the demise of the radio station - which did in fact occur some weeks later (and sadly the recording was never aired!)
 This was a particularly dark time for Jeri having also recently split with his long term partner and being made homeless that led him to attempt to take his own life. It was only thanks to his true and loyal friends that he survived, waking up in hospital and as part of his recovery embarked on counselling with a "wonderful lady therapist". During his sessions she helped to unlock his suppressed childhood experiences and suggested to Jeri that he writes down his thoughts and feelings as part of the healing process.  Between the ages of 6 and 11 he was a "special boy" to his fathers best friend but he was adamant in telling me that he "doesn't see himself as a victim". His notes soon grew to over 300 pages and the beginnings of his soon to be published book " Beyond Repair - The Shocking Truth" took hold which charts his childhood up to the age of 15.  The book will be available to purchase in Spain and as a download on Kindle.

His second book entitled " Benidorm Bullshit, Backstabbing and Bitches" is a "faction" based on what goes on behind the scenes in Benidorm. "All names and places have been changed to protect the not so innocent" he grinned mischievously. After 11 years he has certainly seen and heard some outrageous stories and incidents which are included in his novel, due out in September. I can hardly wait to pick up my copy and see who I recognise!
Jeri is certainly a survivor and not one to sit and wait for things to come to him - he takes life by the horns and makes things happen and I wish him every success.
You can view Jeri's music video "Overdrive" at http://www.vivatv.es/jeri-lane-music-promo

What you can buy with 45p in Benidorm

1 litre cartons of red & white wine

A report published this week revealed that the Spanish Costas are the cheapest holiday spot in Europe. Turkey, once regarded as Europe's cheapest destination is now 60 per cent MORE expensive than Spain following a survey carried out comparing the price of eight items which included a cup of coffee, bottle of local beer and a can of coca cola among other typical holiday purchases.

Obviously with the credit crunch everyone is looking to get the most out of their hard earned pounds. They will compare the prices of flights plus hotel accommodation and possibly even car hire if booking independently. But many will also be curious, especially if not going all inclusive, how far their euro will go when buying everyday essentials.

 Well let me surprise you ........ take for example 50 pence. What can you get with that ? Not a lot I hear you all laugh - well let me enlighten you.
Pop down to the local Aldi- there's one located opposite the Marina Shopping Centre in Benidom (near to Carrefour) and also one in La Nucia. For a mere 54 cent you can purchase any of the following - I did a price comparison : 1 litre carton of orange juice; 1 litre carton of WINE- red or white; 1 litre carton of long life milk or 1 TIN of coca cola. Yes all these individual items cost only 54 cent - you did read correctly - it does say 1 litre of wine. So get booking ....... your pounds will certainly go further here. The kids will be happy with the orange juice or you can add it to the vodka which you can purchase for 3.99€ a bottle!

1 litre of long life milk

Obviously this is at today's exchange rate which was 1.20 euros to the pound and the rate will go up and down but it gives you a good example of how cheap "essentials" are at the supermarket here.


Relevant articles
Spanish supermarkets are cheapest
Buying medicine in Spain

Air Fares on the up for flights to Benidorm.

Holiday makers are to be hit by yet another extra tax for flying - but this time its being imposed by officials at the European Union. This new  EU ETS Tax - European Union Emissions Trading System - is the latest in a long line of cost increases being imposed on Europe's air passengers by the EU under the "pretense" of being an "environmental tax" as it is levied based on an airline's carbon emissions. The decision means all airlines flying to and from the 27 states of the European Union will be liable. Many European airlines have complained that it will reduce the competitiveness of EU airlines - especially following the announcement that China's biggest airline, Air China will refuse to pay this ETS levy. Chai Haibo, of the China Air Transport Association said its members would not co-operate despite the EU's insistence that it would not back down. American carriers argue that the taxes contravene the "Open Skies Agreement" which allows airlines to fly between any EU country and any point in the US. A measure was even passed in the US House of Representatives directing the US Transport secretary to prohibit US carriers from participating in the scheme when it comes into force!

Airlines which do not comply with the tax can be fined and even prohibited from flying into the European Union. I somehow can't see them risking "upsetting" the Chinese AND Americans but time will tell! Apparently the plan could cost Chines airlines £79 million in extra annual costs.... but imagine the lost revenue to the British and European economies if they did stop flying - surely with their spending power it would hit them hard?
Airlines will now be subject to the same levy's as industries such as oil refineries, power stations and steel works for CO2 emissions as part of Europe's effort to combat climate change.
Ryanair  boss Michael O'Leary described the levy as an "eco-loony green tax" but will  still be adding 25p to all bookings from next week ,17th January - the levy will apply per passenger per journey. It is not clear whether other low cost carriers flying within Europe will absorb the cost or pass the charge onto its customers.

New bridge in Benidorm runs over budget!

A regular sight with old bridge!

The construction of the bridge on Calle Ortuno in the centre of Benidorm is still giving the city council headaches.The initial budget to complete the project was 750,000 euros but this has overrun - obviously! The Ministry of Planning is querying the last two bills submitted for payment worth over 150,000 euros - both were apparently paid out on 27th December 2011 but they have now demanded further documentation to justify the overspend stating that there is "insufficient paperwork"

New modern bridge

The works started late November 2010 and were due for completion by the Summer of 2011 - but this target was missed. It was necessary to replace this low bridge as almost every week a lorry or van would either drive into the supports or get stuck under it, weakening the structure and causing gridlock in the centre.
The new bridge is a feat of engineering which took an age to assemble on site but looks great with its glass sides and is achieving its purpose.

Benidorm ER on Channel 5

A 6 part documentary begins tonight at 8pm (9pm Spanish time) on Channel 5 entitled "Benidorm ER" which follows British tourists and expats entering "Clinica Benidorm" - one of Benidorm's two private hospitals. It is a revealing Fly-on-the-wall series following the work of the medical team who check up, patch up and stitch up every problem under the sun!
Tonight's episode follows Stuart Clibery - in town on a stag weekend, Katy Knox & Luke Kerrigan, Erin Rennie, Martin Emmerson and Karen Ravenscroft - better known as "Kinky Karen" around the Benidorm circuit. Suprisingly, the busiest time of the year at the Clinica Benidorm is the winter. From October onwards Brits flock to Benidorm in huge numbers, from pensioners to party revelers, all desperate to escape the cold drab British weather. The senior tourists in search of winter sun really live it up, however many over-do it and end up suffering heart attacks, respiratory episodes, strokes and even brain hemorrhages. The younger clubbers and stag/hen trippers bring the anticipated drink induced accidents.
Only those tourists which have private medical insurance are taken to Clinica Benidorm - those using their blue EHIC cards are taken down the road to the Marina Baja Hospital in Villa Joyosa - on the outskirts of Benidorm. In my 10 years here I have used the services of both hospitals - in fact you will be sent to Clinica Benidorm  from Villa Joyosa if you need an MRI scan.
As well as being a first port of call in an emergency, the hospital also offers many specialist treatments and technologies including chemo, cardiac surgery and MRI Scanning. Almost all of the medical staff speak English - some, such as receptionist Maureen Santana are expats having lived here for 20 plus years.
Benidorm ER will follow the patients and their families, the doctors, nurses, receptionists and translators who make up the hospital's 280 staff.
As an impartial viewer I will keep you updated on the "accuracies" of the experiences aired.

Sporting Alfas Cricket Club searches for players.

Club chairman Kevin

This season is quickly approaching and Sporting Alfaz would like to take this opportunity to invite new players to join their friendly club.
The cricket season here in Spain is enjoyed from the middle of February until late November during which the games played are plentiful, with all standards of players enjoying the game. 

Sporting Alfas CC share a suburb facility in the centre of Albir along with the Albir Golf Club. This is one of only two grounds on the Costa Blanca that are purpose built and maintained - the other one is at La Manga. Sporting Alfas play games against teams from all over the world but the majority are English Clubs on tour - having said that last year a visting Australian club touring Europe popped over for a few games! 

Games are played on all days of the week but Saturday and Sunday obviously take up the bulk. If you are interested in playing or just want to join our ever expanding supporters section, we have excellent facilities for food & drink which now under new management. Please contact Kevin Laundon on 637 120 660 or take a look at the club website.

Training sessions start on Saturday 28th January at 2pm running until the start of the season. Junior players are given tuition on a Sunday morning at 11am starting from 4th March. 

Game in action ...

Everyone, even if you have never enjoyed this sport will be made welcome and given the chance to learn the game - plus its a great way to meets new people.
If you have finished playing and fancy a go at umpiring or scoring you will be very welcome ... with 90 odd games to play everyone gets a go! Cricket in the Sun is booming so come on down and enjoy.